Abstract
We study the atomic layer deposition of TiO2 by means of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The Ti precursor, titanium isopropoxide, was used in combination with H2O on Si/SiO2 substrates that were heated at 200 °C. The low growth rate (0.15 Å/cycle) and the in situ characterization permitted to follow changes in the electronic structure of TiO2 in the sub-nanometer range, which are influenced by quantum size effects. The modified electronic properties may play an important role in charge carrier transport and separation, and increase the efficiency of energy conversion systems.
Highlights
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important material for the photoelectrolysis of water [1] and for many other photocatalytic reactions [2]
Various spectral features typical of either anatase or rutile TiO2 are absent in the X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) spectra of the Atomic layer deposition (ALD) films [17]
Similar spectra were observed in very thin TiO2 films that were grown by reactive evaporation in oxygen atmosphere at room temperature on SiO2 [18], Al2O3 [19] and MgO [20]
Summary
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important material for the photoelectrolysis of water [1] and for many other photocatalytic reactions [2]. In this case interface effects, as those observed in TiO2 ALD films grown on SnO2:F [11], could become important. We compare our XAS results with previous measurements in order to determine how the degree of covalency of the TiO2 thin films can be evaluated and observe that ALD films of TiO2 show quantum size effects, which influence their electronic properties.
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